Please Don't Go, Sir
by Mintelle
Summary: Even though it's been many years since the defeat of the Dark Lord, it would appear his ideals live on. A new supremacist group is on the rise, their goal: to purge all Mudbloods off the face of the earth. Seeking refuge in the most unlikely of places, Hermione Granger must put her trust in those she once considered her enemies. Has time changed them for the better? [ON HIATUS]
1. Chapter 1: Stay

**「 ****Please Don't Go, Sir ****」**

Chapter One: Stay  
A short Dramione series

**Summary:** Even though it's been many years since the defeat of the Dark Lord, it would appear his ideals live on. A new supremacist group is on the rise, their goal: to purge all Mudbloods off the face of the earth. Seeking refuge in the most unlikely of places, Hermione Granger must put her trust in those she once considered her enemies. Has time changed them for the better? And what difference has seven years made to their lives?

o.O.o

**Monday**

Being woken up to the sound of frantic knocking on his front door at three in the morning was definitely not how Draco Malfoy imagined starting his day. He was hoping if he ignored them they'd get the idea and fuck off, but after three agonising minutes the knocking failed to cease. With much frustration and effort, Draco threw himself out of bed and grabbed his dressing gown, slipping on the grey silk material with ease, before descending down the stairs and marched over to his front door with a new found level of rage.

"I swear to Merlin woman, if you're insistent on arguing about this then at least do it at a decent hour…!" Draco snapped as he swung the door open, having been very certain of who would be on the other side. However he was met with two faces he hadn't seen in seven years. The first being Harry Potter. He'd aged well. Besides a bit of stubble on his chin and a few lines on his forehead, he barely looked a day older than the last time Draco had seen him all those years ago.

The second, and an even more unlikely face Draco found himself staring at was Hermione Granger. She looked a lot worse for wear. Her hair was an even more ruffled mess than usual, and her eyes seemed devoid of any happiness. Not to mention the bruises littering her neck. Bloody hell, what had this she been through that was so bad they were knocking on his door for help?

"Draco, may we come in? There's urgent matters that need discussing." Harry requested, his voice calm and collected, as if there hadn't been seven years between their last meeting, almost as if he were speaking to an old friend whom he'd just seen last night for a few drinks at the pub.

After a brief pause, Draco nodded and opened his door wide enough for the pair to enter, proceeding to shut it softly behind them and gesture they enter the living room. The three entered in complete silence, none of them really sure what to say. Draco hadn't seen Harry or Hermione in seven years. The last time he'd seen Potter was at his Mother's trial when he'd vouched for Narcissa's assistance in the defeat of the Dark Lord. Granger had been there as well, but probably more emotional support for Harry, as she never made a statement once.

"Incendio." He heard the soft voice of Hermione Granger mutter, her wand pointed towards the grand six foot fireplace that sat pride and center in the middle of the main wall. In the blink of an eye, all the logs that had been peacefully resting in the firebox were now ablaze, lighting up the room with a soft warm yellow glow. Harry and Hermione chose to sit down next to one another, while Draco sat on the sofa opposite them, waiting for some kind of explanation.

"I apologise for coming to you at such an ungodly hour, but please believe me when I say we had nowhere else to go. If I could have spared you the trouble, I would have." Harry started, being stopped dead in his tracks when Draco raised a hand to silence the young Wizard.

"Spare me the bullshit and cut to the chase, Potter. We both know you're desperate, otherwise you wouldn't be here. So what fucked up scenario has forced you to my doorstep?" Draco asked, leaning back in his seat with an expectant expression resting across his face. Another pause followed, as well as a few glances between Harry and Hermione before the pair decided Draco could be trusted enough to share 'privileged' information with.

Leaning forwards with his elbows resting on his knees, fingers intertwined with one another, Harry took a deep breath and closed his eyes, as if mentally preparing himself for the words that were about to leave his lips. In all their years at school together, Draco had never known Harry to be one to think before he spoke. There wasn't a filter between his brain and his mouth.

"Two weeks ago, a new foe surfaced. They call themselves 'the Chúnhuà' which, when roughly translated from Chinese, means the purification. Their goal seems to be killing all Muggle born Witches and Wizards. Four hours ago, Hermione was attacked by a member of this group and barely escaped with her life. We ask, until we can find somewhere safer for her, if she can stay here with you. Given your family's track record with views on Muggle borns, we figured this would be the last place they would look for her. Like I said before, I wouldn't ask if there was another option, I would owe you a great debt if you did this for us Draco." Harry explained, his eyes wide with pleading and desperation.

Hermione on the other hand had remained as silent as the grave, her eyes constantly cast to the ground. Hardly surprising. If there was a group out there determined to kill her, and others like her, who had recently attacked her to the point where she almost hadn't made it out alive, Draco couldn't really blame her for not being in a talkative mood.

"Well I'd look like a right dick if I said no, wouldn't I? You have a week, that should be more than enough time for you to find somewhere for her to hide out until this all blows over." Draco shrugged. Something gave him the feeling those bruises on Hermione's neck hadn't been healed for a reason, to add a factor of sympathy and encourage Draco to agree on helping. But he wasn't going to argue about it. The last thing he wanted was for his public image to get even worse, between the trial and recent events, he could just picture the headlines now:

'_Golden Trio member Hermione Granger murdered, Draco Malfoy rumoured to refuse in aiding her safety.'_

In a matter of mere minutes, Harry had escorted Hermione to one of the guest rooms Draco had offered to her, helped her unpack the small amount of belongings she had brought with her, and left without another word. That just left Draco and Hermione alone in his house. He had no idea what to do at this point. Did he go see her, leave her be, offer to tuck her in? What the hell do people do in these situations? The woman had been attacked, almost killed. How did he approach her after that? Should he even approach her after that? She would probably want to be alone, but was that really the best thing for her? At this point, he'd been so outcast from the outside world he had no idea how to proceed with the simplest of things, so this was way outside his abilities.

Heading into the kitchen, Draco decided the best thing to do would be to at least get some sugar into her system. She was no doubt in shock from recent events, even something as simple as a cup of tea would at least help calm her down a little bit. Boiling the water and pouring it into a cup, before placing that as well as some milk and a small pot of sugar onto a tray, Draco carried the items up the stairs and to her room, knocking on the door softly before entering.

"Come in." Her soft voice responded a mere second later. Opening the door, he walked over to the bed and placed the tray down on the bedside cabinet, ignoring the rather confused look from Granger as he did so. She was probably expecting him to remain isolated from her, have as little interactions with her as humanly possible. But he wasn't that much of a twat, just a bit antisocial.

"I figured you might want something to drink. Sounds like you've had a long night." Draco shrugged, his arms folding across his chest. Another paused followed before she slowly outstretched to grab the cup, pouring a small amount of milk into it then added two lumps of sugar. Picking up the spoon he'd placed into the saucer, she stirred the liquid a few times before taking a small sip. Milk and two sugars. He'd have to make a note of that for future reference.

"Thank you." She looked so small right now. So vulnerable. This was not the Hermione Granger he'd known at school. The girl he'd spent years with was strong and confident, hell she'd punched him in the face and never backed down from whatever insults he threw her way. The woman sitting in his guest bed was broken, almost beyond repair from the looks of things.

Everything about her appearance screamed that she'd given up. Her shoulders were hunched, tense beyond belief. Her eyes were lifeless, empty and lacking any kind of light. That spark he'd seen light them up many times before had disappeared from existence. What had these people done to her that had changed her so much? What kind of experience had she been through?

"I uh, I'll be just down the end of the hall if you need anything. But make yourself at home while you're here." Turning to leave, Draco stopped dead in his tracks when he felt a small cold hand grab his wrist. Looking back, he saw Hermione standing behind him, her head still looking down at the ground, her shoulders so high up ad tense they looked like they'd snap at any moment.

"I mean it. Thank you, Draco." She whispered, letting him go shortly afterwards and climbed into bed. He nodded softly at her, closing the door behind him as he left. Letting out a short sigh, he headed back to bed. Glancing at the clock on the wall, he groaned when he noticed it was now four in the morning. Only three more hours of sleep. Still, it wasn't as if this was her fault. He couldn't really be mad about the whole thing. Hopefully she would start to relax just a little bit.

He'd assured Harry that his estate was protected by various charms and barriers, and had even set up some new ones after Harry had left just to be safe. The only reason Harry and Hermione had got through was because Draco hadn't seen them as a threat. But that was something he'd changed after learning of their situation. No one with any hostile intentions was going to get through in one piece. In fact, no one in general was going to get in without Draco's say so on the matter, regardless of their intentions. He was going to have to lower the defences himself to let anyone in or out, himself included. Again, it was just an extra precaution to make sure there was no risk of anyone getting in.

Removing his dressing gown, Draco got back into bed. Finding a comfortable position, he closed his eyes and slowly started drifting off to sleep. He doubted it would be as easy for poor Hermione. Maybe he could get her something to help her sleep? Or would that just look creepy? Deciding against it, Draco opted not to baby the young woman residing just down the hall from him. While she may have been attacked a few hours prior, she was still Hermione Granger: smartest Witch of her age and a member of the Golden Trio. She'd destroyed a fucking Horcrux for crying out loud, surely she would bounce back from this, given enough time. Right?


	2. Chapter 2: Pray

****「 ********Please Don't Go, Sir ****」****

Chapter Two: Pray

A short Dramione Series

**Author's Note:** I wasn't expecting such a responsive reaction from this story. I'm sorry it's taken me a little while to get a new chapter, but I hope you enjoy reading this latest post. I'm sorry this chapter is a little short, I haven't had much time to myself to get it done.

**o.O.o**

Draco Malfoy had experienced a great many things in his life, things that had made him overjoyed, confused and angry. But the sight before him was definitely enough to top almost all of those experiences in one fell swoop. He'd woken up at seven o'clock as planned, his alarm clock beeping in an infuriatingly slow and loud pattern. Turning off the device, he'd gotten dressed for the day. A grey knitted cardigan and a pair of black jeans would suffice, it wasn't like he was planning to go out today. And despite Hermione's position in society, he didn't really feel like dressing up solely for her company. He was allowed to relax from time to time, even if it was under unusual circumstances.

Entering the kitchen, Draco had planned on making himself a cup of tea, and that's when he'd seen it. Or rather, her. Dancing through his kitchen to be precise, cooking something, whilst music blared out of her phone. Her hair was a ruffled mess, clearly, she'd made no attempts to brush it just yet. She was still in her nightwear, which consisted of a pair of soft looking trousers with a paw print pattern covering the majority of the material and a long sleeved top of a similar fabric with 'purrfectly pawable' written across her chest. The sight alone was enough to make him grin in amusement. This was something he was going to remember until he died. Hermione Granger, dancing in his kitchen, in cat pyjamas.

This was a very different woman to the one who had walked through his door a few hours prior. Maybe a few hours of rest had done her the world of good? Who knows. Either way, he was actually relieved to see she was in much better spirits now. It was in that moment, halfway through a rather graceful twirl, Hermione spotted Draco leaning against the door frame and let out a yelp, half shock, the other embarrassment. In her surprise, she dropped the empty cup she'd had in her hand, gasping when it shattered on the ground by her feet.

"I don't look that awful in the mornings, Granger." Draco grinned, walking over to the woman before kneeling down to pick up the pieces of broken china. The confused look Hermione gave him led Draco to believe she was struggling to comprehend why he's simply not used a quick spell to fix the object instead. Why hadn't he done this? Well, in the last few years Draco had come to accept the fact not everything could be fixed with magic, and not everything should either. He needed to accept a loss in his life. Even something as small and insignificant as a cup could teach him a valuable lesson.

"I-I'm sorry...I didn't think you'd be here..." Hermione stuttered, joining him on the floor as she began to help him gather the discarded pieces of the broken cup.

"Of course not, it's only my house after all. Don't worry about it, Granger. It's just a cup. I can get plenty more." Draco shrugged, throwing the chips into a nearby bin before doing his best to give her a playful smile. He didn't really know where to tread regarding Hermione right now. He had no idea what she'd been through, or what could set off a possible reversion to her previous state. The last thing he wanted was for Harry to march down there demanding to know why Hermione had turned into an emotional mess and to lay all the blame on Draco himself. He did not need the boy wonder on his case.

Turning his head towards the direction of Hermione's phone, which was still projecting music through the room, he paused for a moment to listen to the lyrics. He couldn't say he'd heard of the artist before, most likely because it was someone of the Muggle world. His openness towards Muggles had increased a lot over the last few years, and he'd even started investing in some of their inventions to use in his own life. But music, it hadn't been something he'd taken too much of an interest in. He was much more fond of classical Wizard artists compared to the rubbish noise most Muggle artists seemed to create. This one seemed to be an exception. He even found himself tapping his foot to the rhythm.

_~ Everybody's got a hungry heart. Lay down your money and you play your part ~_

"It's called Hungry Heart, by Bruce Springsteen. He's an American singer-songwriter." Hermione stated softly before returning her attention back to the food she was cooking. Hungry Heart? What a strange title. How could the heart be hungry? Shaking his head softly, Draco walked over to her phone and clicked the 'next' button, frowning even more so when the next song had an even more confusing title and an appalling memory.

"Your taste in music is questionable at best Granger. How can you listen to such a lovely piece of music, albeit with an odd name, and then listen to the garbage that is dubbed 'What does the fox say'? It makes no logical sense, there must be something wrong with you." Draco scoffed. Looking back over at the woman in question, he chuckled when he saw her roll her eyes at him, doing her best to hold back the bite she desperately wanted to dish out. Taking a few steps towards her, he peered over her shoulder to see what she was making. Whatever it was, it smelled absolutely delicious.

On one side of his oven, there was eggs and tomatoes being fried. On the counter, French toast was resting on some plates, steaming ever so slightly. In the grill, he could hear the familiar sound of sausages and bacon sizzling. The kettle had just boiled, and two cups were waiting by its side, ready to be filled. Raising a brow, Draco leaned back against one of the counters, casting Hermione an amused and rather cocky smirk.

"Were you planning to make me breakfast in bed? I'm touched Granger, I had no idea you felt that way." The look on her face would have killed him if it were possible.

"You have not grown up in these last seven years, have you? I'm simply thanking you for taking me in. I'm stuck here like a prisoner until Harry deems it safe for me to go back home, so I figured I'd pull my weight during my stay." Hermione explained, plating up the food before handing him his serving. They ate breakfast together, another unusual experience Draco never thought he'd find himself going through. Sure, at Hogwarts they'd had breakfast in the same room, but this was different. She was sitting opposite him, in his home, at his table, talking to him about what he had planned for the day.

It was odd. But not unwelcome. Maybe after this experience, he could invest in her company a bit more often? Who knows, the Slytherin and the Gryffindor could even become friends if time would allow?

Once their meal was concluded, Draco left the kitchen to go to his office, leaving Hermione to her own devices. Recently, he'd taken up the role of a Potions Professor at Hogwarts, but it was the summer holidays right now, giving him no reason to be there. But he'd decided to start preparing his material for the classes a little bit early, giving a head start once the school year resumed. Lesson plans, topics of study, even homework and project assignments. He was planning to get at least six months of it done before he returned. It was needless to say, he'd given himself an awful lot of work to do, but somehow he'd managed to keep up with his workload, and was making decent progress. His goal was definitely going to be within reach if he kept working at the pace he did.

His day was going relatively well until an owl landed on the windowsill outside his office, an envelope clutched firmly between its beak. Opening the window, he took the letter and watched as the bird flew away before opening the delivered post. There was only one sentence written on the paper, no return address, no signature, but that didn't matter. Draco knew who it was from, the content of the letter was enough to give it away.

_'We need to talk, stop avoiding me like a child and be an adult, for **his** sake.'_


	3. Chapter 3: Trouble

**「 Please Don't Go, Sir 」**

Chapter Three: Trouble  
A short Dramione series

**Author's Note:** So I managed to get this chapter done a lot quicker than I thought I would, and wrote a lot more than I pictured as well. This chapter is a bit of an emotional one, or at least that's what I aimed it to be. Get your tissues ready folks, this may be a tear jerker.

**o.O.o**

Of course, she had to make a grand spectacle of an entrance, as usual. It was one of the many, **many **reasons that had led to their divorce. Astoria Greengrass was many things, but she was not a person capable of change. When they'd first started dating, shortly following the end of the war, Draco had thought she was truly a wonderful woman. Kind, compassionate and true. But within months her true colours had started to show. She was far more manipulative and cold than he could ever have imagined. But despite his gut telling him otherwise, he'd chosen to stay with her out of respect for her family. Well, more so out of respect for her sister Daphne than anyone else. During their years at Hogwarts, he'd formed a very close and strong bond with the eldest Greengrass. He considered her to be one of his oldest and closest friends. He didn't want to hurt her by ending things with Astoria, after all, she'd been so thrilled upon learning the news of their engagement.

But eventually Astoria's cruel nature pushed him over the edge and he filled for a divorce. Much to his surprise, Daphne hadn't been as devastated as he'd thought she would be. Of course, she was disappointed by the news, but when Draco explained the reasons behind his choice she was very understanding and accepting of his decision. In her eyes he was still family, still like a Brother to her, a piece of paper and the end of a marriage didn't change that. Her parents had been a lot less polite about the whole ordeal. They'd made it very clear to Draco that their Astoria was 'perfect' and divorcing her was unacceptable.

Their disapproval of him didn't matter to him at all, for the most part, he'd found Mr and Mrs Greengrass to be rather intolerable. Their backwards views and high-class mannerisms had really grated him whenever he had been in their company. Thankfully, Daphne had fallen very far from the tree in that respect. Astoria was a different story. As time passed, and Draco's views on Muggles had begun to change, he'd noticed how much Astoria had seemed to resent him for the fact. In her opinion, Muggle-born Witches or Wizards had no place in the Wizarding world. They were beneath her and worthless. That in itself had been another strong reason Draco had chosen to end their relationship. He couldn't imagine spending the rest of his life with someone who was as toxic as she was.

So when she'd knocked on his door and marched on in like she owned the place as soon as he'd opened it, he couldn't help but groan in frustration, slamming the door shut behind him. Despite not knowing Granger all that well, he knew she didn't deserve to witness the events that were about to unfold. After he'd gone to his office to work, she'd been left to her own devices. He had no idea where she was currently hiding, but he had no doubt the loud slam would have caught her attention and she'd come to investigate soon enough.

"So, you're still answering the door yourself? If you're not going to use house elves, at least get a maid of some kind. Someone of your status shouldn't have to do such lowly tasks. It's really unbecoming. And this place could definitely do with a good clean." Astoria scoffed, her nose tilted up in disgust as she looked about her surroundings. Pinching the bridge of his nose, Draco took a deep breath and tried to calm down before he screamed at her. She knew exactly what buttons to press, and how hard. It was one of the things he hated most about her. Pissing people off was almost like her superpower.

"Stop being a world-class, antagonising bitch and just tell me why you're here Astoria. It might surprise you, but I have a life, and things that I need to do. Stop wasting my time and get it over with." Draco snarled, grabbing her by the elbow before all but dragging her into the living room. He was definitely not having this conversation out in the lobby.

The pissed off look on her face was more than enough to bring him some satisfaction, but it faded from her face almost as soon as it had appeared there. Shame, it brought him such joy to see her angry. Once they were within the desired room, Draco turned around before proceeding to close the door swiftly, but softly, behind him.

If he could hide this conversation from Granger he would. Not out of any interest in privacy, but mainly because he just didn't want Astoria getting any wrong ideas. Not only that, but she'd probably launch into one of her hate speeches about Muggles. Then he'd never be able to get her out of his house. It was far better for everyone this way. Well, better for the people he gave two shits about at least. Astoria could go fuck herself.

"Do you have to be so crass? I know we've had our disagreements but there's no need to be so hostile towards me." Astoria huffed, her lips slightly pouted. A laugh of pure disbelief left Draco's mouth as he let his body fall down onto the sofa, leaning back on the seat as he looked up at her. She really was something else, an evil the world would be better off without. Did she really think she was the innocent one in all of this? The victim?

"Disagreements? That's the understatement of the century. You are poison Astoria, you destroy everything you touch, all for the pleasure of watching it suffer. You dare to call me hostile? Grow up and look in the mirror. Take a good hard look at yourself, reflect on everything you've done, and then come back and tell me everything I've said has been completely uncalled for. Stop trying to piss me off and just spit out whatever it is you've come here to say, then get out of my house." Draco hissed.

Rolling her eyes at him, the woman sat down on the sofa opposite him, straightening out her dress as she did so. Even in his company, a man she claimed to loathe with every bone in her body, she still dressed to impress. She still cared too much about her appearance.

"You're not even going to offer me a cup of tea?" Astoria mithered, her head tilted ever so slightly to the left, and a look of annoyance flashed across her eyes. He was going to kill her if she wasn't careful. The twitch in his eye should have been a clear indicator she was now treading across some very thin ice.

"Astoria..."

"Fine. I'm here to talk about Scorpius. I want to...make an arrangement with you." At that moment, Draco's heart stopped beating and his whole body tensed. He could hear the hesitation in her voice, the strain she was putting on it to remain civil. For months, years even, he'd been fighting for this. Why now, after all this time and effort, was she giving in?

Scorpius Lucius Malfoy. His son. Ever since the divorce, Astoria and her parents had limited Draco's time with the young boy down to once a month. He only got to see his son twelve times a year, and it broke his heart. It was having an effect on Scorpius too. The boy was only five, but he was very mature for his age. Seeing his parents fight upset him, and had caused him to cut himself off from his family, as well as his friends.

He was alone, and it was all because Astoria and her parents were determined to make Draco suffer, regardless of what the consequential effects would have on Scorpius.

"As of now, I'm relinquishing my parental rights over Scorpius. This is a legally binding document that now puts him in your care. I'll be out of your life, and you'll be out of mine. Everybody wins." Astoria explained, her tone calm and casual. Pulling out an envelope from her purse, she leaned over and handed it to Draco, whose eyes were wide in shock.

"Everyone wins?! You're abandoning your son! How does he win in this scenario! The boy needs his Mother! You can't just walk out of his life! What possible reason could you have for handing him over to me like a fucking hamper?!" Draco yelled. This was rage. Blind, unharnessed fury. What kind of woman would do this to her own child?!

"Mother and Father have arranged a more suitable marriage for me, with a man who can give me everything I need. They believe having Scorpius in my life will reduce my chances of him accepting their proposal, and cast shame upon my future children. Who am I to argue with that?" Astoria shrugged. Draco was truly lost for words. He was merely looking at the woman sitting before him, eyes wide and jaw agape. How was this so easy for her? Why had this decision not made her falter or hesitate?

Looking down at the envelope, Draco pushed it into his back pocket before standing up and opening the living room door. Holding it open, he glared at his ex-wife.

"You don't deserve to be his Mother or a Mother to any other children for that fact. I take it back, he'll be far better off without you and your toxicity in his life. Get the fuck out of my house, and don't ever set foot here again, or I'll have you thrown in fucking Azkaban." Draco spat, his voice full of venom and the threat was very real. For a brief moment, he saw a flicker of fear in Astoria's eyes, but she quickly conformed herself and stood up.

"I'll have Pippa bring him and his belongings here this evening." She stated.

Walking towards the door, she stopped beside Draco, briefly looking him up and down before marching out, leaving his property and slammed the door loudly behind her. After she was gone, Draco let out the breath he didn't know he'd been holding in. His chest ached, and he could feel his heart beating loudly, furiously, against his ribcage. Running a hand through his hair, he let out a long sigh and closed his eyes. The poor boy was going to be broken hearted. His own Mother was abandoning him, and he was old enough, or mentally mature enough at least, to understand why. No child deserved that.

Glancing to his right, it was then he noticed Hermione standing in the lobby, looking rather shocked, confused and out of place. Great. She'd probably caught wind of the end of that conversation. Thankfully Astoria hadn't seemed to have noticed her at least. That would have ended incredibly poorly for the Gryffindor. Once Astoria started, there was no way of stopping her until she was satisfied, or she'd had enough, one or the other.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...I was walking past when you opened the door. I would never...it was never my intention to..." Hermione rambled nervously.

"Ease up Granger, I know you weren't eavesdropping. You would have found out sooner or later I guess, with you living here until Potter sorts out whatever mess is happening out there right now. Excuse me, I have to prepare a room for my son." Draco muttered, walking past her to go upstairs and get Scorpius' room ready. It had been almost two years since the boy had stayed overnight. But Draco had kept his room exactly as it had been left. Not a single toy had been thrown away, everything was as it had been back then.

Sighing sadly, Draco got to work on replacing the bed sheets and having a quick clean up. While he was glad he was going to be seeing his son, actually get to be a part of his life for more than one day per month, he was distraught it was under such cruel circumstances. He could only imagine what the poor boy himself was going through right now, being told he'd never see his Mother again because her potential marriage, and possible future children, were more important to her than he was.

* * *

Later that evening, at around six, a knock on his door alerted Draco that Pippa had arrived with Scorpius. Exhaling, Draco stood up from the sofa and headed over to the front door. Hermione had stayed out of his way for the majority of the day, which he appreciated. His emotions were all over the place right now, and the last thing he wanted was to snap at her when she'd done nothing wrong and risk hurting her feelings.

Pulling the door open, he gave a sympathetic smile to Pippa. She was the Greengrass family's personal maid. She was also quite young, maybe thirty years old at most. Her hair was short and red, coming down to her shoulders in soft wavy folds. Her skin was pale and littered with freckles, while her eyes were an unnaturally bright green. Right now, they were slightly red and puffy, she'd obviously been crying over the news of what was going to be happening this evening. Draco knew Pippa loved Scorpius. So seeing him go through this must have hurt her almost as much as it had Draco.

But when he looked down at his son, Draco's heart shattered into a million pieces. The boy was carrying his own suitcase, both hands clutching the handle. A small toy owl was being held under his arm, up against his side. Narcissa had gotten it for him for his first birthday and the toy had been by his side every day since. He loved that little owl. But that wasn't what broke Draco, the sight of seeing his son desperately trying to contain his own tears did. His bottle lip trembled, tears were threatening to spill and his chest rose frantically as he sniffled, soft accidental whimpers echoing in his throat every now and then.

Collapsing onto his knees, Draco pulled Scorpius into his arms and hugged the boy as tightly as he could, whispering soft words of comfort to try and ease his son's pain. How on earth could Astoria have sent him away when he looked like this? How had this been so easy for her to do? Was there no love for her son anywhere within her heart?

"Come on sweetheart, give me your bag and I'll take it up to your room." Pippa whispered, gently planting a soft kiss on Scorpius' head. Wiping his nose with his sleeve, Scorpius let go of his Father and turned towards Pippa, extending his arms out so she could take the suitcase from him. Ruffling his hair softly, she walked inside the Manor and ascended the staircase to go unpack the boy's belongings.

Even after all these years, it would seem she still knew this place like the back of her hand. When Astoria and Scorpius had originally lived with Draco, Astoria's parents had hired Pippa to help with raising the newborn. Draco had been a bit hesitant about it, but Astoria had been quick to silence his concerns. In due time, he'd grown to accept Pippa's presence in their lives, and even come to think of her as a friend, someone he could trust.

But when Astoria had left, and taken Scorpius with her, she'd dragged Pippa away too. Understandably, the woman hadn't complained. She'd wanted to make sure young Scorpius was cared for. She'd often send Draco letters, pictures of important moments such as his first steps, meeting a magical creature for the first time, and so on.

Picking up Scorpius in his arms, Draco carried the boy inside, closing the door softly behind him. What on earth did he do now? This was all he'd ever wanted, his son to come home. But not like this. Not in a way that had split in son's spirit. How was he meant to make his son happy after going through something like this? But before he could have even begun to fathom what to do, Hermione appeared. In a few short strides, the woman was standing in front of him, a friendly smile on her face as she looked at Scorpius.

"Hey, your Scorpius right? My name is Hermione." She introduced, offering her hand out to him for a handshake. The boy paused for a few moments before cautiously accepting, politely shaking Hermione's hand. The gesture was enough to bring a smile to Draco's face. Scorpius had always been a polite child, even when he didn't want to be.

"Are you my Daddy's girlfriend?" Scorpius asked, his voice soft and wobbling slightly. In his shock at the boy's statement, air seemed to trap in his throat and Draco found himself coughing heavily to try and get some much-needed air back into his lungs. What on earth had given him that impression?! A soft giggle left Hermione's lips as she shook her head.

"No. But I am his friend. Your Daddy is a hero you know? Some mean people have been looking for me, but he's hiding me and keeping me safe." Hermione stated. Wonder-filled Scorpius' eyes as he looked up at his Father, pure amazement and awe were written on his face.

"My Daddy's a hero?" He gasped, his excitement and pride coming out in large bursts.

"That's right. Your Daddy has also told me that you really like hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows on top. Would you like some?" Hermione asked. Draco didn't think it was possible for someone to nod as fast as Scorpius did. He eagerly demanded to be put down and rushed to the kitchen as fast as his legs could carry him, exclaiming to anyone who was listening how many marshmallows he wanted and what colour he wanted them to be.

Shaking his head in amusement, Draco chuckled at his son's actions before casting a grateful look at Hermione. She didn't need to do that, but he was thankful she had.

"Thank you, Granger." He whispered. She merely smiled and nodded in a silent acknowledgement, following Scorpius to the kitchen to prepare his desired beverage. He was about to ask her how he'd known how Scorpius liked his hot chocolate, but he then realised what a stupid question that was. What kid didn't like tons of sugary treats in their hot chocolate? Vaguely, he could hear Scorpius chatting excitedly to Hermione, instructing her how to make the 'perfect' hot chocolate.

He was about to join them when Pippa started walking down the stairs. A sad smile was on her face, no doubt she'd seen the exchange between Scorpius and Hermione. When she reached the bottom of the staircase, she walked over to Draco and hugged him softly.

"He needs you, now more than ever. Take care of him." She whispered, placing her hands on Draco's cheeks as she looked him directly in the eyes before letting him go and walked towards the front door. This didn't feel right. Without Scorpius in the Greengrass household, there was no doubt they would now either fire Pippa or force her to do horrid jobs around their estate for simply associating with Draco.

"Pippa, wait. He needs you as well. You've been the only constant in his life since they took him away. Come work for me, I won't ask you to do half the stuff I imagine they force upon you. All I ask is you help my son heal. You can stay here, and I'll pay you well. You've been more of a Mother to that boy than Astoria. He can't lose you too." Draco pleaded. There was a short pause before the woman smiled, practically beaming, and nodded softly. Tears began to form in her eyes again, but these were ones of joy.

"I'll hand in my notice as soon as I get back. I'll return tomorrow morning to start. Thank you, Mr Malfoy. Thank you so much." After that, she left and closed the door softly. Within the hour, Scorpius had nodded off and Draco had taken him to bed before bidding Hermione goodnight. Things were going to be very different now. For everyone.


End file.
